SHOP
There are few areas of the Radley campus
that are regarded with quite as much
affection by the boys as Shop. It is not
the most imaginative name for such an
important and revered institution, but the
very mention of the word ‘Shop’ stirs such
feelings of happy days that it was a bold
move to undertake a major refurbishment.
Gone are the metal barriers separating the
different year-groups; the little jam account
books have been replaced by a trendy new
EPOS card system of payment; the dark
and mysterious outfitters is now a gleaming
state of the art kitchen and the stationery
room has become the new Harrods of
Radley. Even the old games kit has been
consigned to history: its place being taken
by the latest ‘performance sportswear’.
The boys are slowly adapting to the new
surroundings. Given time, they will learn
to appreciate the beautifully light and airy
space. There is a more grown-up feel to the
place, with modern comfortable furniture
inside and extended solid oak seating on
the patio. There is much less clutter, more
room to sit around and chat or watch one
of the two wide-screen TVs. Even the
vending machines have been updated and
now stock all of their favourite things.
In the numerous discussion groups prior
to opening, two things came up time after
time. Will the new Shop serve the iconic
short break snack – the chicken roll? And
the other was the genuine concern that the
boys would miss having ‘their’ lady serve
them in the queue. The affection in which
the boys hold the Shop ladies is touching
indeed: they are a hugely-respected group
and quite rightly so. Although there is
no longer one lady per year-group, they
are very much in evidence and doing a
wonderful job in adapting to the new
technology. As for the chicken rolls: how
could we possibly live without them?
Harry Hammond,
Senior Master
10
THE RADLEY NEWSLET TER